Soccer ready to avenge ’06 loss

By Wes Shaw, staff writer
Posted on October 11, 2007

JMU squares off against the William & Mary Tribe in a match-up of Colonial Athletic Association unbeatens Friday night at the JMU soccer complex. It will be Madison’s toughest challenge since its heartbreaking 1-0 loss to No. 8 Penn State on September 14.

The Dukes currently stand at 10-1-1 on the year after a 1-1 draw at Drexel on Oct. 5 and 3-2 win over Delaware on Oct. 7.  Only three games into its conference schedule, JMU is 3-0-1 in the CAA with seven in-conference contests remaining in its regular season.

JMU’s current record is much improved from its 4-7-1 record through 12 games last season. Last season Madison was fortunate to finish 11-11-2 after starting out 0-5. The Dukes’ current success can be at least partly attributed to leadership from senior forward Annie Lowry.

Lowry has scored seven times this season after a two-goal performance against Delaware. She also has three assists and three game-winning goals on the year. As last year’s JMU Female Scholar Athlete of the Year had eight goals and six assists in the entire 2006 season.

“Annie is just a big-time player,” coach Dave Lombardo said. “She can really take over a game, like she did against Delaware.  It was 1-1 [at the half] and she came out in the second half and scored two goals that a lot of goalkeepers wont ever get to. She’s just an impact player for us.”

William and Mary comes into the game with an 8-3-1 overall record and a 3-0-1 record in the CAA. The Tribe is on a four-game unbeaten streak that includes victories over two teams JMU defeated: Drexel and Delaware. In its streak, the Tribe has outscored its opposition 7-1 and shutout three of its last four opponents.

Junior forward Claire Zimmeck, who has nine goals on the season six of which have proved to be game winners leads the Tribe.

“Claire is a very talented goal scorer,” Lombardo said.  “I think we’re going to handle her like everybody else, within our zone defense. I don’t think we’re going to dispatch anybody to mark her out of the game.”

In last year’s matchup of these two CAA rivals, William and Mary defeated JMU 3-1. In that game, Zimmeck recorded a hat trick for the Tribe and had five shots on goal, nearly matching the seven of the entire Dukes team.

“Claire is somebody who poaches goals,” Lombardo said. “Balls that are loose in the box, she gets to. So we’re going to see if we can hang on to the ball a lot more and not give her that opportunity.”

This game not only gives the Dukes an opportunity to avenge its 2006 lost but has important implications on the 2007 CAA standings. The 3-0-1-conference record of each team ties them for second in the CAA, behind the 4-0-0 VCU Rams.

“William and Mary has been at the top of the CAA for years,” Lombardo said. “They beat us at their place last year, but I think our team this year is better. We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, and we’re playing at home, so I’m excited about the opportunity.  I feel very positive about this game.”